President Lee: "Visiting Many Countries Early in My Term Helps Greatly With Economic and Security Cooperation"

   [Financial News, São Paulo, Brazil = Choi Jong-geun]President Lee Jae Myung, who is on a state visit to Brazil, said on the 28th local time that he tries to visit as many countries as possible early in his term in order to normalize or deepen relations between nations.
Speaking at a luncheon meeting with overseas Koreans at a hotel in São Paulo that afternoon, Lee said, "Since taking office, I have been making quite a few overseas trips. Meetings like these between heads of state are very helpful for economic cooperation, security cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges."
He stressed, "If you build real trust instead of just making a formal visit and leaving, the situation improves very quickly for companies operating locally, for Korean residents there, and for businesses exporting goods to this country or that country."
He added, "What would be the point of traveling in the later part of a term or at the end?" He explained that by then, even if a new opportunity is created, the next administration may take it up, but it is not easy to make full use of it.
Lee also shared a conversation he had with Brazilian President Lula, saying, "President Lula asked me to send his regards when I meet you."
Addressing the Korean community in Brazil, Lee expressed his gratitude, saying, "In 1956, senior members of the Korean community crossed over to this land of Brazil. Their first steps here as foreigners became a precious seed that later helped the South Korean government enact its overseas migration law and support the settlement of the first official agricultural immigrant group it ever sent abroad."
[email protected] Choi Jong-geun Reporter